(Updated) Route 422 East closed after motorcycle crash

Police closed the two eastbound lanes of Route 422 Tuesday night after a motorcycle struck the back of a car near the Armand Hammer exit. Police on the scene said the motorcyclist refused treatment on the scene. (By Caroline Sweeney/ The Mercury)

(Updated 9:55 p.m.) LOWER POTTSGROVE — A motorcyclist was “lucky” Tuesday night after his motorcycle clipped the back of another vehicle on eastbound Route 422, crashed, and escaped with only minor injuries.

Lower Pottsgrove Police Sgt. Timothy Walters said the motorcyclist was with a group of three other motorcycles on Route 422 Tuesday night.

“They were observed five to seven minutes prior to the crash, westbound, in North Coventry, at a high rate of speed (moving) in and out of cars,” Walters said.

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The group supposedly exited Route 422 at Route 100 and re-entered on the eastbound side before 7:40 p.m.

“Two of them split and were a distance ahead of the other two,” Walters said.

A car reportedly came up the Armand Hammer Boulevard on-ramp traveling the posted speed limit of 40 mph.

“(The motorcyclist) came in excess of the posted speed limit,” Walters said.

According to Walters, the motorcycle clipped the rear bumper of the vehicle entering the highway. The motorcyclist was able to dump his motorcycle.

Wearing a helmet, the motorcyclist reportedly only suffered road rash and refused treatment from medics from Goodwill Ambulance.

“It could have been a lot worse,” Walters said.

His three friends reportedly came back to the scene to check if he was all right after the crash. In doing so, however, one of them was discovered not to have a motorcycle license, which required his bike to be towed along with the one that crashed, Walters said.

Route 422’s eastbound lanes were shut down at Armand Hammer Boulevard for roughly an hour while the accident was investigated.

An investigation is ongoing into the incident, according to Walters. Citations are possible.

The Lower Pottsgrove Police and fire police responded to the scene around 7:40 p.m. after two motorcycles crashed.

A source at the scene said one of the motorcycles contacted another vehicle’s rear. The same source said no one was taken to the hospital.

Traffic was allowed to pass through again shortly after 8:30 p.m.

More details are expected later.

About the Author

Frank Otto is a general assignment reporter covering Phoenixville, Limerick and Spring-Ford schools in addition to features and spot news. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Otto moonlights with the sports department on occasion. Reach the author at fotto@pottsmerc.com
or follow Frank on Twitter: @fottojourno.